Cyberpunk: 2075.

Chapter 965, Section 176: Willing to Do

Which is better: a new America under Rosalind Myers' control or a new America under KK's control?

No one knew until the latter actually happened.

But Li De still agreed.

Despite having been used by the former time and time again, and the latter possibly being used by him as well, Li De was still willing to believe one more time.

He believes in KK.

Because the other party showed him respect.

This is not something difficult to understand.

Although for someone like Li De, respect was no longer necessary, loyalty required no reward; loyalty itself was the reward. He loved the new America and was willing to give everything for it. But even so, to dedicate everything depended on one's own feelings.

Rosalind Miles has proven she has failed the country, but Carl is willing to erect a monument out of pure respect for the new American soldiers whose interests are not even in hers, and he even prevented the nuclear explosion that Miles plotted to kill these patriots. If this does not change Reed's feelings, then he is not human.

Ultimately, Li De wasn't a machine; he was still a human being.

He has beliefs, but the basis of those beliefs is still humanity.

“If it weren’t for your background, I think the position of the new US president might be very suitable for you.”

After making the decision, Li De relaxed quite a bit. He even said something that surprised Karl and Song Zhaomei, sounding like a joke.

However, rather than joking, Li De probably felt more regret.

After all, if Carl was truly a true Stars and Stripes member, then Reed would genuinely be willing to devote himself entirely to Carl, and he was truly convinced that the new America would be better under Carl's leadership.

"I do recall that the new United States does not currently require the president to be born on American soil."

Carl laughed when he heard this and casually replied that he was just joking and had no real intention of becoming the new president of the United States.

To be honest, he had absolutely no interest in that position.

He wasn't ignorant of political rules, but "understanding" and "being willing to do" are two different things.

The thought of endlessly arguing with those politicians made Karl realize that he would eventually lose patience—and who knows, one day he might just take his troops to "have a chat" with them.

That's too much like a military government; if that's the case, it would be better not to become one in the first place.

But if he didn't do that, he had a feeling he would be drawn into the center of a political vortex, busy dealing with all sorts of forces all day long. Just thinking about the endless overtime work gave him a headache.

He can't just take office for a few years, then give up and run away, making a living by writing a memoir called "From Mercenary to President".

"Then my people will contact you to let you know in advance that the person you'll be working with might be Bennett. I think when we meet, his expression will definitely be very complicated. You two better not fight."

With a smile, Karl, having finished his tasks, prepared to leave. He was only there to recruit people to do the work; he certainly wouldn't be involved in any of the hands-on work afterwards.

If someone always does everything themselves when they're not king, and still has to do everything themselves after becoming king, then what's the point of being king?

The dog king has been barking for so long in vain, but it's not without its benefits; at least someone is doing the work for him.

Just as Karl got up to leave, Song Zhaomei called out to him.

"Wait a minute, KK."

Hearing Song Zhaomei's voice, Karl turned his head.

"what happened?"

Karl wasn't familiar with Song Zhaomei; they'd only met a few times, and he didn't have any particular feelings for her. He only saved her because Li De had asked him to, and he was wondering what she had to say to him.

Just as Karl was wondering, under his watchful gaze, Song Zhaomei thanked him very solemnly.

"Thank you for saving me."

"Oh, that's it."

Carl glanced at Song Zhaomei, who was bowing to thank him, but didn't seem to care much. "I understand."

He simply nodded casually, not taking it seriously at all.

"Now that you've survived, you should live well from now on."

After saying that, he waved his hand and opened the iron door to the basement.

As the iron gate opened, sunlight streamed in, illuminating the dim basement.

The three figures stood in the light at that moment.

Karl, facing the light, seemed to have his silhouette edged with gold. Li De, whose face was illuminated by the sunlight, still appeared dark. Song Zhaomei, half of her body was bathed in light, while the other half was in shadow.

Then, Karl stepped into the light.

The instant his figure moved away, it was as if the last veil had been removed, and the complete light poured down on the two of them without any obstruction—

Song Zhaomei subconsciously squinted her eyes. The half of her body that had been in the shadows was now completely enveloped in warm light; Li De, on the other hand, was completely bathed in sunlight, his whole body gleaming.

Feeling the somewhat dazzling sunlight, Li De, who was used to being in the dark, watched Karl's disappearing figure and felt as if he had been reborn.

'This sunlight is so bright!'

Feeling the warmth brought by the unfamiliar light, Li De, who was not quite used to the rare good weather in the Night City, sighed.

However, he will eventually have to get used to it.

After all, he will be acting on his own will from now on.

No longer a lackey of Miles, nor a top agent of the FIA, but a simple patriot, Solomon Reed.

A man walking in the sunlight.

Karl walked forward, and before he knew it, a circle of guards had quietly gathered around him.

"I made you worry."

Karl didn't mind his subordinates coming without his permission; he never refused their sincere goodwill.

"but."

Carl glanced back at the spot he had just left. "This area should be included in the building plan as well. If this continues, the residents who flood into Dogtown will have nowhere to live. Since they chose to come to Dogtown instead of the nearby Pacific State or Night City, we have to make sure they have a place to live."

Although Li De and Song Zhaomei lived on the edge of Dog Town, this land still deserved proper protection.

In a sense, Carl's visit today also carries the mission of informing temporary residents to prepare for relocation.

"Let's follow the established rules. We'll recruit people to start the project here. If they perform exceptionally well as workers, they can rent these new houses at the lowest possible price once they're completed."

Carl paused briefly, then added, "And tell Gago that if anyone wants to buy a house, they should get a sufficient discount based on their labor in the construction. At the very least, everyone who works should be well-fed and have a place to live."

This decision was not in accordance with the usual rules, but considering the constant influx of outsiders into Dogtown, Carl decided to make a slightly unilateral decision himself.

If there's a real problem, we can just apologize to Gago and then discuss it with him slowly.

After all, making decisions without informing the finance director can cause them headaches. You can't just give orders easily and then make others pay the price for your casual instructions.

"understood."

Just as Karl was assigning tasks, a subordinate quietly approached and whispered:

"Sir, news has just arrived from the city."

"explain."

"Wilton Holt has been killed."

(End of this chapter)